1. Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe (2014)
Olga BORODANKOVA
Education and Youth Policy Analysis Unit
EACEA
Hungarian and European trends
in ECEC policies
Budapest, 2 December 2014

2. (under Ministries’ responsibility)
The Eurydice
Network in 2014
36 COUNTRIES
40 NATIONAL UNITS
(under Ministries’ responsibility)

3. Eurydice mission
To provide those responsible for education systems and policies in Europe with European-level analyses and information, which will assist them in their decision making.

4. Key Data on ECEC: data sources
Eurydice National Units
 descriptive and comparable information on ECEC policy and practice
 based on official central steering documents (laws, decrees, regulations and recommendations)
Eurostat  statistical indicators
International student achievement surveys (PISA and PIRLS)
 connections between ECEC participation, student outcomes and student background
2nd Eurydice report on ECEC

5. Early Childhood Education and Care – Definition and Scope
Provision for children from birth to primary education that falls within a national regulatory framework, i.e. it has to comply with a set of rules, minimum standards and/or undergo accreditation procedures.
It includes:
Public, private and voluntary sectors
Centre-based and home-based provision (in provider's home)

7. Issues covered:
Models of ECEC systems
Educational guidelines
Transitions from ECEC to primary education
Specific measures for children with additional needs

8. with or without pre-primary classes
Organisation of centre-based ECEC, 2012/13
Unitary system
with or without pre-primary classes
0/1 to 6/7 years
Split system
under 3 years
3 years and more

9. 'Childcare' (under 3 year olds)
SPLIT SYSTEM
Ministry responsible for health, welfare or family affairs
No educational guidelines
Care staff with upper secondary qualifications
No legal entitlement
'Childcare' (under 3 year olds)
Ministry of education
Educational guidelines
Educational staff with tertiary degrees
Legal entitlement
’Early education' (3 year olds +)
UNITARY SYSTEM
Ministry of education
Educational guidelines
Educational staff with tertiary degrees
Legal entitlement
'Early childhood education and care' (0/1-6/7 years)

10. Regulated home-based ECEC, 2012/13
Regulated home-based ECEC exists
No regulated home-based ECEC

11. Educational guidelines
Official guidelines are issued on a range of matters to help ECEC providers offer a high-quality service.
Educational guidelines may cover:
learning content
objectives and attainement targets
teaching approaches
learning activities
assessment methods, etc.
Forms of educational guidelines:
Incorporated into legislation
Reference framework of skills
Care and education plans
Educational standards
Criteria for developing local curricula
Practical guidelines for ECEC practitionners, etc .

12. Educational guidelines in central-level steering documents for centre-based ECEC settings, 2012/13
Educational guidelines for both younger and older children
Educational guidelines only for older children

13. Educational guidelines in central-level steering documents for home-based ECEC settings, 2012/13
No educational guidelines
No regulated home-based ECEC

14. Educational guidelines
Learning objectives

15. Educational guidelines
Balance between adult-led and children-initiated activities
Alternation of individual and group activities
Project-based learning
Free play – ½ countries
Learning approaches

16. Assessment of older children’s progress, 2012/13
Observation only
Written record based on observation
Testing
Self-assessment
Institutional autonomy

17. Criteria for admission to primary education, 2012/13
Age only
Maturity/readiness for school
Language skills

18. Measures to facilitate children’s transitions from ECEC to primary education, 2012/13
Central measures exist
Central measures do not exist /
Institutional autonomy

19. Percentage of children aged 0-5 at risk of poverty or social exclusion, 2012
Source: Eurostat

20. Measures to support disadvantaged children
Child learning and developement
Language support
Other developement/education support
Staff
Additional staff or specialist staff
Specific CPD programmes
Staff from a minority / migrant
background
Extra salary
Organisation and funding
Smaller groups or lower child/staff ratio
Equipment/facilities
Additional budget/ lump sum for ECEC setting

21. How is additional learning support provided?

22. Central recommendations on language support provision to disadvantaged children, 2012/13
For both younger and older children
Only for older children
Only for younger children
No central measures

23. Staff involved to support language measures
BE fr BG CZ EL PL PT SK TR LI CH
DK LT
DE LV
EE LU
IE HU
ES MT
LV RO
UK SCT HR LV RO SI NO
Staff from a minority or migrant background
Speech &
language
terapists
BE nl PL SK FR
Only for younger children
For older and younger
Only for older children

24. Bucharest, 2013
Pictures from PLA in Bucharest, March 2014

25. Full report: http://eacea. ec. europa
Full report: Eurydice Policy Brief on ECEC: For more information: